Structural unit



R. L. swARTwouT 2,310,326

STRUCTURAL UNIT Feb. 9, 1943.

Filed May 12, 1941 llll l l llll INVENTOR. v ofierz L Jwar/wou/ W W ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 9, 1943 i v iJNiTEo STATES PATENT OFFICE;

STRUCTURAL UNIT Robert L. Swartwout, Albion, Mich., assignor to Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application May 12, 1941, Serial No. 393,017

4 Claims. (Cl. 189-34) This invention relates to improvements in tom frame member 4, then passed through the structural units. slots 9 in the panel and wrapped around the top The main object of this invention is to provide frame member and clamped on the under side of a structural unit which is well adapted as a cover the under frame member at H). While the memor shield for racks for displaying merchandise. hers I are of bendable stock, they possess sufli- A further object is to provide a structure havcient stiffness or rigidity so that when bent or ing these advantages which is very economical clamped around the frame members they reand at the same time attractive in appearance tain their position.

and permits the use of thin bendable material I have not shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 other such as is now produced from certain plastics. 10 rack m bers s ed t e o- Objects relating to details and economies of y p d Structural units are desirable for the invention will appear from the description to use as she v s and s lv where t pa follow. The invention is defined and pointed out panels are desired or where an economical strucin the claims. ture is desired.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is il- In the accompanying drawing, I have not illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in lustrated the panel as bearing advertising or diswhich: play material but I desire to point out, particu- Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a display larly when the pane is f transparent p rack embodying my improvements or in which that representations of the article advertised or my improvements are incorporated. other desired matter may be readily printed up n Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on a line correthe P sponding to line 2-2 of Fig. 3. I have illustrated and described my improve- Fig.3 is a, fragmentar plan i ments in an embodiment which I have found Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of my y praetieal- I av not att pt d to il usimproved structural unit, trate or describe certain embodiments or adapta- In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, tions which I p a e as it is believed that I generally designates display k formed of this disclosure will enable those skilled in the wire or light rod stock and having shelves 2 and art to o y or a p y o e nts s m y 3, be desired.

Merchants experience considerable loss Having s described y i t on, W at through customers or prospective customers han- Claim s new and desire to secure y Letters dling certain merchandise, the merchandise t is! thereby becoming soiled or displaced to destroy A Structural unit Comprising a p of endits effective display, and there is considerable less frame members formed of rod stock and loss as a result of shoplifting. At the same time, being of ubstantially the same size and shap it is of course desired to attractively display the p s d in side by d relation. a transparent merchandise and many forms of display racks Panel o Plastic material having i s e ge d shave been devi ed. posed between said frame members and having The structural details of the rack I so far as spaced s s a jacent its edg d dable aseneral structure is concerned form no part of 40 l r t ps welded at one end to the inner side my present invention which relates to a strucof one of the said fra b s and P s tural unit or closure for display racks and other through Said Slots in d P l d a o d t e ur other frame member and clamped upon the outer Thi structural unit comprise th fra side of the frame member to which it is welded.

bers 4 and 5 which are preferably formed of 2. A structural unit comprisin a pair of endheavy wire or light rod stock and are endless and less frame members formed of rod stock and of the same siZe and shape. These are disposed being of substantially the same size and shap in side by side superimposed relation with the disposed in side by s d relation, a Panel having edges of the panel 6 between them. This panel its edges disposed between said frame members 6 is, in the preferred embodiment, formed of nd having spaced holes adja nt i s ed s. an transparent plastic material and is quite flexible. bendable fastener members welded at one end In order to effectively secur it and support it to one of the said frame members and passed and to secure the frame members together, the hrough said slots in said panel and around the strap-like clips or fastener members 1 are welded other frame member. at one end, as at 8, to the inner side of the bot- A str c al unit comprising endless frame disposed side by side and in substantial parallelism, a panel disposed between said side members, said panel having openings therein spaced from the edge, and bendable fasteners welded at one end to one of said side members, passing through said openings, retainingly engaging the other side member to hold the same in operative relation to the panel, said fasteners being secured at the opposite end to said first 10 named side member.

ROBERT L. SWARTWOUT. 

